World

And Dutch MPs last week voted to ban the burka in public places for "security reasons". France and Belgium were the first countries in Europe to ban the garment in 2011, legislation that also includes fines. "German law takes precedence over Sharia", she added. "A situation like the one in the late summer of 2015 can not, should not and must not be repeated ", Merkel told party delegates. (more...)

Renzi offered his resignation to Italy's president Monday, but the move is delayed until the country passes a budget. Mr Renzi's resignation could open the door to early elections next year and to the possibility of an anti-euro party, the opposition 5-Star Movement, gaining power in the heart of the single currency. (more...)

US President-elect Donald Trump has a number of contenders for the highly sought after position of secretary of state - including Rudy Giuliani , Mitt Romney and, now, ex-CIA chief David Petraeus. Trump last week moved to broaden his cabinet base beyond mainly older white men by nominating South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley - whose parents are Indian immigrants - as USA ambassador to the United Nations. (more...)

But Gergel refused both requests in an order filed Tuesday night, writing: "The Court can not respond to every breaking news story or development in the local court system by continuing a trial that has been scheduled since June 2016". Roof is charged with federal hate crimes and obstruction of justice in the nine shooting deaths at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church on June 17, 2015. (more...)

In most states, whichever candidate receives a majority of the popular vote, or a plurality of the popular vote, takes all of the state's Electoral College votes. This means if you vote for a Democrat in a presidential election here, your vote may feel meaningless. In one of the more weird twists in this incredibly freakish year, Donald Trump now questions the legitimacy of ballots cast in an election that he won. (more...)

He said that that peace can not prevail in South Asia without the resolution of the Kashmir dispute. "As Mr. Kakazada, one of the key figures in the Taliban movement, recently said if they didn't have sanctuary in Pakistan, they wouldn't last a month", Ghani said. (more...)

Brietbart's use of an unrelated Weather Channel video to back up false claims that the earth is getting colder just didn't sit well with the weather reporting service, which rarely if ever sticks its nose in anything political. Breitbart had pulled much of its information from a Daily Mail article , which Ms Parker also said had used dodgy scientific arguments and methodology. (more...)

The book, by veteran reporters Amie Parnes and Jonathan Allen, says Clinton had not yet reached that decision before Obama advised her to concede. "We used to have state legislators select our USA senators", Green said . The Pew poll was conducted from November 10-14 among 1,254 Americans who voted in the presidential election. If the Republican is a lock to win Kansas, why should Kansas Democrats bother to vote? Pennsylvania and MI are considering joining the pact, which if they did, ... (more...)

Time chose Trump from a list of 11 high-profile finalists who have undoubtedly influenced news and the world in the past year, for good or ill. "So which is it this year: Better or worse?" In the year that Facebook surpassed the 1 billion mobile daily users mark, the social-media titan has an unprecedented global reach. (more...)

More than 461 people died in that disaster, which came not long after a catastrophic magnitude-7.6 quake in Padang in 2009 killed more than 1,100 people. "We immediately ran outside the house but it crumbled. I looked around and all my neighbours' homes were completely flattened". Abidin is traumatized because she believes three friends were buried in building collapses. (more...)

Darrell Issa (R-CA) said Trump was "using levers" of power against China. In Beijing , foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang would not say directly who China had lodged "stern representations" with about Trump's call, repeating a weekend statement that it had gone to the "relevant side" in the United States. (more...)

In other major categories, Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year both shape up as Beyoncé vs. Adele battles, for " Formation " and "Hello", respectively. He'll compete against himself in the best rap song category as his " Famous ", featuring Rihanna, is also nominated. The band's smash hit " 7 Years ", which set a Danish Billboard record, is up for " Record of the Year ". (more...)

Lawyers for the state rejected those claims and a court dismissed the petition. William Sallie, 50, was pronounced dead at 10:05 p.m. EST at the state prison in Jackson, where he was executed by lethal injection, the Georgia Department of Corrections said in a statement. (more...)

Al-Haj said that when the government military moved in on the eastern districts of Aleppo , the densely populated al-Shaar has been deserted by its residents. Maria Zakharova said at a news conference Wednesday that Lavrov will travel later in the day to meet Kerry in Hamburg, a day earlier than expected. (more...)

He now is one of two chancellors and a dean that run the three affiliate campuses of Montana State University, and who report to President Waded Cruzado at the main campus in Bozeman. Nook said he knew the job was right for him as he spoke with two UNI students on the search committee during his off-site interview in Minneapolis in November. (more...)

Massive crowds packed the large grounds of Rajaji Hall, where both men and women wept in grief as they glimpsed the body of their iconic leader through the day. Another possible reason why J Jayalalithaa was not cremated could emerge from the fact that there was no one from her blood relations to give fire to the pyre. (more...)

Analysts have said Trump's comments could signal a harder USA line on Iran, a development that could in turn empower hardliners on Iran's political scene, including rivals of Rouhani. Under the deal, Iran must reduce its uranium stockpile by roughly 98%, phase out its centrifuges over the next 15 years, limit research activities, allow heightened inspections and ship spent fuel outside of the country. (more...)

Almost £11,000 was funnelled into the account of Anouar Haddouchi, another Belgian living in Britain who also claimed benefits despite mostly living in Saudi Arabia. But he told the jury the "actual use of the money handed to Abrini" was not part of the case. Abrini said: "There's no plan to target England as a potential site for a terrorist act". (more...)

In a recent interview , Valls had raised prospects of his taking part in the election after President Francois Hollande's declining popularity forced the ruling Socialist camp to seek a candidate able to get the wind back in their sails. (more...)

Merkel announced Thursday she would not cap the number of refugees allowed to enter Germany. After facing intense criticism for her open-door policy to refugees, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called for a ban on full face veils, or burqas, "wherever legally possible" in the country. (more...)